


Fish in a Barrel

by reginliefvalkyrie



Category: The Extinction Cycle - Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Genre: Fitz - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-18 16:04:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5934472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reginliefvalkyrie/pseuds/reginliefvalkyrie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fitz and Ellis just talk. </p><p>Spoilers for book 4</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

            Fitz sat beside Ellis on the steps to Building 1. It had become a common occurrence. It was nice, just sitting in comfortable silence or small talk.

            Fitz had seen Ellis almost every day since Beckham and the others left and it was getting harder and harder not to laugh at that thing growing on Ellis’ upper lip.

            Facial hair of any kind didn’t fit the man.

            “What?” Ellis asked turning to him.

             Fitz cocked an eyebrow.

            “You keep looking at me and trying not to laugh.”

            “Oh.” He’d been caught. “Well, you really need to shave.” His lips pulled back into a smile. “I can’t take you seriously with that sorry excuse for a mustache.”

            Ellis scowled the best he could. “I’ve had more important things to worry about than my appearance.”

           ‘No shit’. Fitz thought. Ellis looked like hell. His hair was a mess, he had bags under his usually bright and cheerful eyes, and he wasn’t smiling. It hurt that ever cheerful Ellis looked so defeated.

            Fitz cleared his throat. “So, Riley and I started training Johnson’s men.”

           “I heard about that. To catch a variant child.”

           “You could tell by the looks on their faces they don’t feel confident. It probably didn’t help that Riley implied that’s how I lost my legs.”

            “That’s close to impossible.” Ellis cut in. “What could have even happened? Your legs were worse than Riley’s so they had to be amputated or that variants only had the chance to eat your legs before being killed?”

            Fitz had nothing to say. He’d just thought it had been funny.

            “And let’s say you did lose your legs to variants, it’s only been about, what? A month? A month and a half? Since the outbreak. It’s highly improbable that in that short amount of time you were able to get blades and master using them. Only a variant could heal that fast. So, unless you’re really a secret variant.”

            Fitz stared at him. He could feel a smile tugging at his lips. “That would be some weird M. Night Shyamalan shit.”

            “If they believe that, it makes me question the intelligents of the people left to protect Plum Island.” Ellis shook his head. “Let alone their ability to capture a live variant child.”

            He couldn’t stop himself. Fitz broke out in a fit of laughter. He couldn’t remember the last time he laughed so hard.

            Ellis frowned. “I don’t see what’s so funny about it? You could fly a helicopter through the plot holes.”

            “Leave it to you to think too much about it. They’re scared shitless. None of them are picking apart what we’re telling them.” Fitz gasped for air. “They just don’t want to end up like Riley or me or worse, dead.”

            The atmosphere turned sober.

            “I’m, I’m sure everyone will be alright.” Ellis tried to smiling reassuringly. “With you and Riley and the others’ training them, they’ll be fine.”

            “Yeah, it’ll be easy. They go in, snag a kid, and come back. Like shooting fish in a barrel.”

            Neither believed it.

            They sat in silence for some time before Ellis asked.

            “Why would you shoot fish in a barrel?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this sickening feeling that they both get OOC

Ellis stared at Fitz. “You’re going to New York?”

“I’m leading one of the teams.”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

Fitz waited for Ellis to unconsciously glance down at his blades, but he never did. Their eye contact never broke.

“I get the reasoning behind it.” Ellis went on. “You’ve went up against the variants before and killed God only knows how many. Still.” He shook his head. “With you gone, that only leaves Riley.”

“And all Johnson’s guys.” Fitz reminded him.

“Yes, but none of them have seen a loose variant let alone killed one and they keep evolving. Without actually encountering one.” Ellis stopped. “Sorry, you already know all this.”

“Doesn’t make killing variants any easier.”

“And that’s another thing that bothers me. We know very little about these nests and their alphas. Everyone’s going in blind. They’re sending in 1 expert and several novices. It doesn’t matter how amazing you are, there’s too much slack for 1 person to handle.”

Fitz shrugged. He knew exactly what Ellis was getting at and agreed. “There’s really nothing else we can do.”

“I know.” Ellis sighed. “I know we don’t have time, but rushing in leads to mistakes and we can’t afford to make mistakes.”

“I’m sure it’ll all work out.” Fitz tried to sound reassuring. “We’ll go in, nab a variant kid, and get out. Simple.” Didn’t he say that a day or so ago?

Ellis still looked doubtful. “I suppose if anyone can pull this off, you can.”

Fitz hoped he wasn’t blushing.

“I should get back to the lab. Be careful out there.” He forced a smile before turning and started walking away.

Fitz licked his lips. He had no desire to die tomorrow and he wouldn’t go down without a fight, but there was no guarantee he’d survive.

“Ellis, wait!”

The doctor stopped and waited for Fitz to catch up. “Yeah?”

Fitz shifted uneasily. “About tomorrow, I.”

Ellis’ furrowed his brow. It really shouldn’t have looked as funny as it did.

He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it. Fitz couldn’t say it. He couldn’t do it.

“Well.” Ellis said after a moment. “If you remember, I’ll be in the lab.”

“You’ll see everyone off tomorrow, right?” Fitz managed to fumble out.

For a split second, Ellis looked disappointed. “I’ll try. It depends on the anti-bodies, but I’ll watch the feeds.”

“No pressure there.”

“What?”

Fitz grinned. “I said, shave that crap off your face while I’m gone.”

Ellis took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. “I’m never going to hear the end of this, am I?”


End file.
